Chapter 4
Gali
After bandaging Norri's wound as best I could with what we had on hand, I left him sitting on the crate, looking small and scared amidst the chaos of our cleanup operation.
I realized I had crossed a line when talking to him. I shouldn't have said the things I did. He didn't deserve it. I overreacted.
My men moved efficiently around us, gathering weapons and rounding up any surviving Bloodletters for interrogation later. There weren't many. Only a few.
To be honest, I was actually surprised. I thought that we had killed all of them.
As soon as we had a moment alone, my second-in-command, Raze, approached me with a grim expression etched onto his weather-beaten face.
I sighed. Whatever he wanted to talk to me about, I didn't want to hear it. I had something much more important to deal with — or maybe I should say, someone rather than something.
"What are we going to do with the kid?" He jerked his chin towards Norri, who sat huddled with his arms wrapped around himself, staring blankly at nothing.
He looked so innocent. I mean, he wasn't. Not fully, but compared to us, he was nothing. He was just a civilian. And, much younger than me, too. For some reason, I couldn't stop thinking about that.
I hesitated before answering, considering my words carefully. Raze was, well, the kind of person he was. Even though he was my second-in-command, it was difficult to deal with him. Suffice it to say that him being my second-in-command hadn't entirely been my choice.
"We'll take him back with us," I finally said, keeping my tone neutral despite the surge of protectiveness coursing through me at the mere thought of leaving Norri behind.
I realized, that, without my support, he would be as good as dead. I didn't even want to think about that. My heart hurt at the mere notion of him dying.
Raze raised an eyebrow. "And risk him talking? You know we can't afford loose ends like that."
My jaw tightened at the implication behind his words. Leave it to Raze to suggest eliminating a potential threat rather than finding a better solution.
In other circumstances, if Norri were anyone else, he’d already be dead. But he wasn’t. I felt a strong connection to him and wanted to explore what that meant.
"He's not a loose end," I snapped sharper than intended. It was a mistake. I couldn't let Raze know my true feelings for Norri. "He's a witness, yes, but one who didn't ask to be caught up in this mess. We owe him protection."
Raze scoffed openly now, folding his arms across his chest. "Protection? Since when did you start caring about witnesses, Gali? Last time I checked, we didn't have time for sentimentality, and you know I'm right about that."
I glared at him, aware of several nearby ears pricking up at the exchange. "Watch yourself, Raze," I growled low enough that only he could hear. "That omega is off-limits unless I say otherwise."
Something flashed in Raze's eyes then - surprise mixed with understanding perhaps - but he wisely kept whatever thoughts he had to himself. For now. He remembered he was my second-in-command and couldn't challenge me any more than he already was.
"Fine," he conceded. "But what happens next? We can't keep him locked up forever."
"We won't," I assured him firmly, though to be honest, I hadn't thought that far ahead yet. All I knew was that we couldn't just kill Norri.
Besides, there was something else tugging at me whenever I looked at him — a primal instinct demanding I keep him close, safe from harm. It was unlike anything I'd ever experienced before, and it scared the hell out of me. It kept making me wonder if, perhaps, he wasn't my fated mate.
"Then what's your plan?" Raze pressed, clearly unsatisfied with my vague reassurances. I couldn't blame him.
"I don't know yet," I admitted honestly, rubbing the back of my neck. "But I'll figure something out. Just give me some space to think."
Raze opened his mouth as if to argue further but seemed to reconsider upon catching sight of my expression. Instead, he merely shook his head before walking away without another word.
Good riddance. The last thing I needed right now was someone questioning every decision I made regarding Norri.
Turning my attention back to the young omega still seated on the crate, I couldn't shake the feeling that things were about to become significantly more complicated than they already were.
◆◆◆
Back at our compound later that night, I led Norri down the dimly lit hallway toward one of our guest rooms. He followed silently behind me, casting nervous glances at the heavily armed guards stationed along the way.
When we reached the door, I pushed it open and stepped aside to allow him entrance first. He hesitated briefly before stepping past me, eyes darting around the sparsely furnished room.
"It's not much," I commented dryly, closing the door behind us both. "But it should suffice for tonight."
Norri nodded without saying anything, wrapping his arms around himself again as if seeking comfort from the simple gesture. There was something so vulnerable about him standing there like that, and it stirred protective instincts within me once more.
"You hungry?" I asked gruffly, attempting to break through the tension hanging heavy between us. "We can have something brought up if you want."
His stomach chose that moment to rumble loudly, eliciting a faint blush from Norri as he ducked his head. "No, thank you," he murmured. "I'm fine."
Liar. But I didn't press the issue; instead, I gestured towards the bed tucked into one corner of the room.
"Why don't you get some rest? Tomorrow will be a long day."
Norri glanced towards the bed uncertainly before turning back to me. "What's going to happen tomorrow?" He asked, worry creasing his brow.
I sighed at the question; truthfully, I wasn't sure yet. Still, there was no use worrying him further by admitting that aloud.
"That depends," I hedged. "For now, just focus on getting some sleep. Okay?"
He nodded, though skepticism lingered in those wide blue eyes. Without another word, he crossed over to the bed and climbed beneath the covers, pulling them up high under his chin.
Watching him settle down, I felt an inexplicable urge to stay by his side until he fell asleep. But knowing how ridiculous that sounded even in my own head, I forced myself to turn away instead.
At the door, I paused with my hand on the knob, glancing back over my shoulder one last time. Norri lay curled up on his side, facing away from me now, his breath already evening out into the soft rhythm of slumber.
Despite everything, a small smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. At least someone would be getting some rest tonight.
With a quiet sigh, I slipped out into the hall and pulled the door closed softly behind me. Leaning against it for a moment, I took a deep breath before heading downstairs. There was a lot for me to do.